Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The LSU Tigers will boast the SEC‘s most talented player in 2015. Leonard Fournette, a sophomore running back, enters 2015 with lofty expectations after rushing for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He became only the third freshman in LSU history to rush for more than 1,000 yards. Fournette was famously rumored to have been physically gifted enough to play in the NFL coming out of high school. Despite his size, he also has remarkable acceleration and patience.
Fournette stands at 6-foot-2, 227 pounds and is agile enough to return kickoffs. He began to look more comfortable in his role on special teams as the season progressed. If Fournette has an expanded offensive role this season, the Tigers will need to find another player to handle the kickoff returns. LSU’s quarterback concerns will likely mean more carries for Fournette. After only carrying the ball 187 times in 2014, it is likely he will carry the ball around 250 times. In 2010, Stevan Ridley was the Tigers’ featured back and carried the ball 249 times.
Fournette needs to be a better receiver in 2015. In years past it was acceptable for running backs to be primary ball carrier and offer little in the passing game. Running backs that are true game-changers in 2015 are elite ball carriers and (at minimum) a reasonable receiver. Fournette only caught seven passes last season, and it would be advantageous for the LSU offense if he could become a more versatile player.
The comparison between Adrian Peterson and Fournette seems obvious. These players possess similar stature and skills. Peterson is older and has obviously had more time to progress as a receiver. Fournette will hopefully have better success staying healthy and learning to play at a time when pass-catching backs are all the rage in the NFL. Peterson was the runner-up for the 2004 Heisman Trophy, while Fournette has said that the Heisman Trophy is his goal. And with his talent, there is a chance he could make that dream a reality.
